Bellator announces open tryouts this week in Kansas City for April 29 fight-card slot

Bellator Fighting Championships is hitting the streets to find the next up-and-coming mixed martial artist.

The Chicago-based promotion on Monday announced it’s sponsoring an open tryout for fighters to win a featured spot on Bellator 16, which takes place April 29 at the Kansas City Power & Light District in Kansas City, Mo.

The tryouts are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CT (local time) on Saturday, March 6, at Ringside, Inc.’s John Brown Training Center in Lenexa, Kan. (Registration begins one hour prior to tryouts.) Participants must bring ID, protective gear and proof of two professional fights. Tryouts will consist of grappling and bag striking inside a cage.

Promotion officials didn’t mention any specific weight classes for the tryout, so all fighters are welcome. Last year’s tryout brought lightweight Troy Gerhart into Bellator’s fold. (He went 1-1 in the promotion.)

Bellator’s second season commences April 15 with Bellator 14 at the Chicago Theatre in Illinois. As with all 24 shows in seasons two and three, events air live on FOX Sports Net affiliates on Thursdays, and highlight packages air on NBC and Telemundo the following weekends.

“In the spirit of Rocky Balboa, this tryout will give an undiscovered up-and-coming fighter the chance of a lifetime to be highlighted on a national stage,” Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “We look forward to seeing a solid pool of fighters who are looking for their shot to compete at a world-class level.”

Bellator recently finalized match-ups for season two’s eight-man welterweight and featherweight tournaments. Announcements for the lightweight and middleweight brackets are expected in the coming weeks.

Season-two tourney participants fight for the right to challenge season-one tournament winners and current Bellator champs in those four divisions. Each title-holder earned $175,000 for his three-fight title run last year, but as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported this past week, each season-two winner earns up to $100,000.

In addition to the tournaments, Bellator fills out each fight card with non-tourney bouts. Some of those matchups could include fighters from the open tryout.

For the latest on Bellator 16, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

(Pictured: Troy Gerhart)

Steven Marrocco is a staff reporter for MMAjunkie.com and an MMA contributor for The Vancouver Sun.

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